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Languages of Myanmar in Cyberspace

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Languages of Myanmar in Cyberspace Languages of Myanmar in Cyberspace Wunna Ko Ko, Dr. Mikami Yoshiki Key Words: Myanmar Languages, Computerization, Myanmar Script Abstract There are a total of 111 languages spoken by the people living in Myanmar. Among them, the top language groups are Myanmar (Burmese), Shan, Kayin(Karen), Rakhine, Mon, Chin and Kachin. The earliest stone inscription of Myanmar and Mon languages can be found on MyaZeDi Stone inscription (AD 1113). There are long history of printing and publishing in Myanmar languages. Computerization also has been started long ago. It is still not sufficient enough to localize basic software into Myanmar languages and present in cyberspace. Myanmar Character Code (with Extension for ethnic languages) has been allocated in UCS/Unicode (U+1000 – U+109F). Many people have put effort since long time ago to develop Myanmar Character Codes and Fonts but the limited cooperation between international organizations, experts, venders and local end users slowed implementation of Myanmar languages (Burmese language and the Ethnic languages). This paper mainly emphasizes on the necessary cooperation among the developers, venders and local end users. Outline of the paper This paper overview the diversify world of writing system and give historical overview on the evaluation of computer usage in Myanmar and on Burmese language. After reviewing the off-line printing and the computerization history, the objective of this paper is to propose active agenda for digital divide on how to move forward on localization of Burmese scripts. In section 1, the languages spoken by the people living in Myanmar is described. It also contains the development history of Burmese language and other selected major language groups. In section 1.9, the history of type printing technology in Myanmar is mentioned. In section 2, the availability of digital technology in Myanmar is mentioned. It also describes about the development of Myanmar font and the rendering of Burmese script. In section 3, the availability of internet in Myanmar is mentioned. It also describes about the initiatives and the difficulties of Natural Language Processing for Myanmar Languages. In section 4, it describes about the actions needed for Myanmar languages. Section 5 describes about the acknowledgement to Language Observatory Project. 1 1 Outlines of Selected Major Myanmar Languages There are a total of 111 languages1 spoken by the people living in Myanmar. Bible has been published over 50 languages spoken in Myanmar2. There are altogether 135 ethnic groups, also known as “Nationalities”.3 Some two or three ethnic groups speak same dialect or language and some ethnic groups speak more than one dialect. Among them, Burmese (Myanmar) is the official language and spoken by about 69 % of the population as their mother tongue. According to 1983 census,4 the top language groups are Myanmar (Burmese) 69 %, Shan 8.5%, Kayin (Karen) 6.2%, Rakhine 4.5%, Mon 2.4%, Chin 2.2%, Kachin 1.4%. Table 1: Selected Major Languages in Myanmar Language Language Region Religion Speaking Scripts Remark Group5 Population Kachin Tibeto- Kachin Mostly 0.7 Latin scripts Sample (Jinphaw) Burman State Christian million website:6 Kayin/ Karen Tibeto- Kayin Animism, 3.0 Karen Sample Burman (Karen) Buddhism million scripts website:7 State and (extended Christianity Myanmar scripts) Chin Tibeto- Chin Christianity, 1.0 Latin scripts Burman State ethnic million religion Mon Mon- Mon Buddhism 1.2 Mon scripts Sample Khmer State million (extended website:8 Myanmar scripts) Myanmar Tibeto- Official 34.5 Myanmar Sample (Burmese) Burman language million scripts website:9 Rakhine Tibeto- Rakhine Buddhism 2.1 Myanmar Sample (Arakenese) Burman (Araken) million scripts website State :10 Shan Tai- North Shan Buddhism 4.0 Shan scripts Sample West State million (extended website Myanmar :11 scripts) 2 Figure 1: Map of Myanmar: States and Divisions 1. Thaninthayi 2. Mon 3. Yangon 4. Ayeyarwaddy 5. Kayin 6. Bago 7. Rakhine 8. Magwe 9. Mandalay 10. Kayah 11. Shan 12. Sagaing 13. Chin 14.Kachin 1.1 Myazedi Stone Inscriptions Myazedi stone inscription, now displayed in Bagan Museum, discovered in 1886-87 by a German Pali scholar and Superintendent of the Epigraphic Office, Dr. Forchhammar, is dated 1113 A.D or 474 Myanmar Era. Myazedi stone inscription was discovered near Myazedi Pagoda at Myinkaba village the south of ancient Bagan (now, Bagan, Nyaung Oo Township, Mandalay Division). Another one discovered in the Ku Byauk Kyi Temple is now set up on the platform of Myazedi Pagoda. These two inscriptions are identical except the one display at the Bagan Museum is a square pillar of sand-stone and the other on the platform of Myazedi Pagoda is rectangular. The Myazedi inscribed pillar is a quadrangle, each side bearing an inscription in one of four different languages, Pali, Myanmar, Mon and Pyu. Myazedi is one of the earliest stone inscriptions so far discovered in Myanmar and the first to inscribe the Myanmar and Mon languages. Myazedi Stone Inscription, Ku Byauk Kyi Stone Inscription and Rajakumar stone Inscription (since both stone inscriptions were set up by Prince Rajakumar of Bagan Period) are the three names famous for these two stone inscriptions in Myanmar history. It is also known to many as the first Myanmar script. 3 Figure 2: Myazedi Stone Inscription 1.2 Kachin Language Kachin Language, also known as Jinghpaw, is also one of the officially recognized minority languages of China. Most of the people, who speak Kachin (Jinghpaw), live in Kachin State (Myanmar). Kachin Language uses Latin script. The alphabets used by Kachins were developed by Rev. Ola Hanson from American Baptist Foreign Mission Society purposely to write the Bible. 1.3 Kayin/Karen Language There are two major types of Karen Languages, Pwo Kayin (Karen) and S’gaw Kayin (Karen). Most of the people who speak Karen language live in Karen State (Myanmar), and some in Ayeyarwaddy division. In the 1820s American Baptist missionaries Judson, Wade, and Mason came to Burma and evangelized the Karen. In the process they translated the Christian Bible into the Sgaw Karen language using the Burmese script. This Bible translation was finished in 1839 and this translation is still used today. Figure 3: Kayin/Karen Alphabet: Consonants (Left) and Vowels (Right) 4 1.4 Chin Language There are many different types of Chin Languages but mostly are quite similar. Examples are Chin-Asho, Chin-Falam, Chin-Haka, and Chin-Khumi. 1.5 Mon Language Mon belongs to the Mon-Khmer language group. The earliest Mon inscription, found at Lopburi in Thailand, dates from the eight century and is written in the Pallava script used at the Hinayana (Theravada) Buddhist center of Conjeeveram in the area of Madras on the east coast of India. Figure 4: Mon Alphabet: Consonants (Left) and Vowels (Right) 1.6 Rakhine Language Rakhine (Arakanese) language is recognized as one of the Tibeto － Burman Lolo- Burmese Southern group. Myanmar script is used to describe Rakhine Language. 1.7 Shan Language Shan language is recognized as one of the Tai-Southwestern-East Central-Northwest group. The earliest reference to Shan scripts was found in a Bagan era12 from AD1120. 5 Figure 5: Shan Alphabet: Consonants (Left) and Vowels (Right) 1.8 Burmese (Myanmar) Burmese (Myanmar) is the official language of Union of Myanmar (Burma). Myanmar (Burmese) is recognized as one of the Tibeto-Burman group. About 34.5 million people speak as their first language and almost all the educated people in Myanmar speak as second language if their mother tongue is another ethnic language. The language of Education from primary level to secondary level is Myanmar (Burmese). From tertiary level is English. Mother tongue speakers of Myanmar/Burmese language live mostly in Myanmar Proper/Region of Myanmar, that is, seven divisions of Myanmar: Yangon, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Ayeyarwaddy, Pegu and Magwe Division. - - - - - - - - - - -‌ Figure 6: Burmese Alphabets: Consonants (Upper) and Vowels (Lower) 1.8.1 History of Burmese Scripts The Burmese script derives from 11th century Mon. In A.D 1057 one of the first Burmese Kings, Aniruddha, conquered Thaton, a major Mon center, and the wise Monks, skilled artists and artisans were brought back with him to Bagan. The Burmese writing system derives from a Brahmi-related script borrowed from South India in about the eighth century for the Mon language. The first inscription in Burmese dates from the following years and is written in an alphabet almost identical with Mon inscriptions. Aside from rounding of the originally square characters, this script has remained largely unchanged to the present. The rounder forms were developed to permit writing on palm leaves without tearing the writing surface of the leaf. 1.8.2 Myanmar Language Commission 6 From the Rajakumar stone inscription (also known as MyaZedi stone inscription) which bear the date 475 Myanmar Era (1113 A.D.), it can be inferred that Myanmar language had developed into the written form at least more than eight centuries ago. However, although effort had been made by the monarch to establish orthography of the language and a standard orthography and a monolingual dictionary of the language were still lacking after a quarter of a century had passed since gaining independence from the British in 1948. To correct this discrepancy and to establish the Myanmar language which is in fact the medium of the communication for the vast majority of the people either as their mother tongue or the most practical second language in this multi-ethnic society on a sound basis, the Revolutionary Council laid the corner stone for the future formation of the Myanmar Language Commission by forming the Commission for Myanmar Literature Translation in 1963. The Commission published “Burmese–Burmese dictionary” in 1968 and “The correct way of Burmese spelling” in 1978. After a series of organizational and functional changes, the present commission assumed its present form in 1983, consisting of members appointed by the Cabinet and with a department under the Ministry of Education providing its management and operational requirements.
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